NPR recently interviewed President Biden’s nominee for ambassador to Belarus. If confirmed, her first dilemma will be introducing herself to President Lukashenko, thereby lending official legitimacy to a man considered by most to be a dictator. He has served since 1994, has said that his country is not ready for a woman president, and his 2020 “re-election” was disputed and protested against by thousands of protestors in his country.
It is a stain on America’s reputation that foreign diplomats coming to Washington could have faced the same dilemma if ex-President Trump had his way and succeeded in his ham-handed coup attempt of Jan. 6. It is utterly astonishing and disturbing that Congress has been unable to agree on a bi-partisan commission to fully investigate the Capitol invasion and to recommend whatever measures are necessary to ensure that it never happens again.
Do Trump diehards really favor the governing model and electoral manipulations of Alexander Lukashenko or Vladimir Putin? Do we really want a government in which a small group exercises control, especially for corrupt and selfish purposes? That is the definition of oligarchy, that is what Trump wanted after he lost the election by nearly 7 million votes, and that is what the people who still support Trump apparently wanted.
As H.L. Mencken said, “In the world of sin and sorrow there is always something to be thankful for; as for me, I rejoice that I am not a Republican.”
Richard Whiting, Auburn
Copy the Story LinkSend questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.